Shutter BoysVinyl shutters in Lake Charles: vinyl or wood?
Lake Charles's weather and homes
In Lake Charles, August averages a high of 92.8°F and January a low of 43.4°F, about 88 days a year reach 90°F, 11 nights fall at or below freezing, and 65.5 inches of precipitation falls in a typical year. That's more hot days than 75% of the 881 US cities we have climate figures for.
49% of homes were built before 1980, and owners live in 61% of them.
Port Arthur, 46 miles away, has much the same number of days a year at 90°F or more (93).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Heat and vinyl
88 days a year reach 90°F. Vinyl makers are careful about heat: Hunter Douglas advises against its vinyl shutters in skylights, where it says the frame and louvers may warp. On a hot, sunny glass wall here, solid wood is the safer choice.
Where vinyl does win
In a wet climate, vinyl's real advantage is water: it's waterproof and wood isn't. For a window inside a shower, vinyl is the right product. For every other room, a ventilated painted wood shutter does better.
Uneven openings
In older homes, openings are rarely square. Wood can be lightly sanded to fit at install; vinyl can't be sanded at all.
Vinyl or wood across a whole house in Lake Charles
Vinyl costs less than wood, and the gap grows across a whole house: the middle detached house has 10 to 15 windows. 39% of Lake Charles's homes are rented, where the cheaper covering often wins.
The median home here is valued at $214,300. In Port Arthur, 46 miles away, the median is $107,400, lower than here.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024; U.S. EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020 (windows). Prices from our price list.
10 to 15 windows in poplar$3,200 to $6,000
Each priced as a 36 × 48 in window, flat moulding, paint stage 1, 3½ in louvers, before tax and shipping. We don't sell vinyl.
Price your own windows| Feature | Solid poplar (ours) | Vinyl / PVC | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand to fit an uneven opening | Yes | No | Usually not |
| Repaint later | Yes | Not recommended | Depends on the coating |
| Colours | Any paint or stain | Mostly whites | Factory colours |
| Shower spray | Keep it away | Waterproof | Only with a waterproof option |
| Skylights and hot glass | Doesn’t soften in heat | Makers advise against skylights | Ask the maker |
Where our shutters fit
Every Shutter Boys shutter is made from solid American poplar to the measurements you take, then shipped to Lake Charles for you to fit. We make solid poplar only, because it is the better shutter in every room that stays dry.
The designer shows the price of each window as you add it, in US dollars.
Need vinyl for a shower window as well? We can supply it alongside your wood shutters. Ask about vinyl
More about shutters in Lake Charles
Vinyl shutters near Lake Charles
- Port Arthur 46 mi
- Beaumont 57 mi
- Lafayette 71 mi
Price your windows
Pick your look once, add every window, and see each one drawn and priced. Send it to us and we reply with your quote.